Cirque Du Soleil returns with Totem'

Cirque du Soleil will be headed back to the area with a brand-new touring production. The company’s trademark blue-and-gold striped tent will be pitched on the Camden waterfront for an extended three-and-a-half-week stint of “Totem.”

Evoking the notion of evolution, “Totem” draws from the founding mythology of many cultures and the advent of the human species. You can reliably expect mind-boggling acrobatics, complemented with eye-popping handmade outfits, live music and state-of-the-art production design.

Tim Smith, the artistic director of “Totem,” draws from an extensive background in theater. Previously, he was involved with six original Broadway companies, including “Grease,” “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Sweet Charity.” Three years ago, he segued from the Great White Way to Cirque du Soleil.

As he explained, “Luckily my career with the Broadway community allowed me to experience most of what I had set out to accomplish. It came time for me to plan the second act of my career. Cirque was a company that I had my eye on.”

Advertisement

Being the artistic director of any Cirque du Soleil production is a daunting challenge. The cast members of “Totem” hail from 15 different countries. Besides the United States, Belarus, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Spain, Ukraine and the United Kingdom all contribute performers to the show. Of course, cultural and language differences can generate problems.

As Smith described, “With this type of diversity, artists are used to working differently. Getting everyone on the same page creatively often has its challenges. The biggest reward is when we do indeed arrive all on the same page and art is made.”

According to Smith, “Each Cirque du Soleil show is different. We are constantly working with different teams of creators. Each of them brings their own vision of the company to the table and tries to invent their own style in their own way.”

He detailed his role as artistic director: “My job is to motivate the artists on a daily basis and make the show evolve while respecting the original intentions of the creators.

I make sure that the different elements of the performance maintain the high level of quality that is expected from Cirque.”

“Totem” features 11 acrobatic acts.

Smith said, “The level of skill is outstanding. Most of the disciplines featured are totally new to a Cirque stage. The few that aren’t have been brought to whole new level by pushing further their acrobatic and artistic concepts to new heights.”

He elaborated, “All acts are supported by extensive video content that we are projecting on the stage. This allows us to morph the set from one scene to the other. Therefore, the audience moves from surprises to surprises and never know in which setting we are going to take them next.”

Smith reflected on the message of “Totem:” “Everyone has the chance to dream. ‘Totem’ showcases the infinite potential of human beings. As humans, we can achieve anything we would like to achieve. We hold the power!”

Asked to characterize the demographic profile of the audience, Smith grew emphatic, “This is why I love Cirque the most. Having been in the commercial entertainment industry for close to 20 years now, you are always consumed with finding the right audience. With ‘Totem,’ I look around the audiences and there is not one type of public.”

He explained, “This aspect alone makes the family unit happy. There is truly something for everyone and the experience is so unique that everyone will walk away with an experience that they will never forget.”

Smith said, “Whenever you have the opportunity to attend a live Cirque show, you should not miss the experience. ‘Totem’ is the kind of evening that you will walk away from saying that you have never seen anything like it before.”

He concluded, “It would be silly to miss a magical night of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Totem.’”